PE'Z
High-velocity brass and frantic piano keys that hit with the impact of a punk band. Aggressive, joyful instrumental jazz for when you need to move fast.
High-velocity brass and frantic piano keys that hit with the impact of a punk band. Aggressive, joyful instrumental jazz for when you need to move fast.
Formed in 2000, PE'Z (often called 'The Samurai Jazz Band') became a pivotal force in the Japanese 'club jazz' and 'soil jazz' movements. Their sound identity is characterized by extreme high-tempo arrangements, aggressive brass unisons, and a punk-rock ethos applied to acoustic instruments.
The quintet, featuring Ohyama Wataru and Kadota Kousuke on horns, Nirehara Masahiro on bass, Kou on drums, and the virtuosic Hiizumi Masayuki on keys, bypassed traditional jazz venues in favor of street performances and rock clubs, building a massive following outside the typical jazz demographic. Their career arc saw them move from indie darlings to Sony Music Japan signees, influencing a generation of high-energy instrumental acts like SOIL & PIMP SESSIONS and TRI4TH. Critical consensus highlights their technical proficiency balanced with a 'rough-around-the-edges' live energy. After a 15-year run that redefined the commercial viability of instrumental jazz in Japan, they disbanded in 2015, leaving a legacy of high-octane, genre-blurring compositions.
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